


Of Cuts and Soul Mate Thing

by dreamshades



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Jicheol, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-05
Updated: 2016-04-05
Packaged: 2018-05-31 10:40:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6467038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamshades/pseuds/dreamshades
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world where when one writes something on their skin with a pen, a marker or whatever thing they want, it will show up on their soul mate's skin as well. However, Seungcheol meets his in slightly different way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Cuts and Soul Mate Thing

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys will like it!

In the dead of the night, Seungcheol was supposed to be soundly asleep in the bed with a comfy blanket wrapped around his body. But before long, his eyes shut open and Seungcheol grimaced in pain as his left arm stung. He groaned in agony and struggled to lift his body up to turn on the bedside lamp. And to his great surprise, there were cuts on Seungcheol's arm and the burning pain really was hurting him.  
  
     “Shit!” Seungcheol blurted through his gritted teeth. “Where did these cuts come from?”  
  
     Soon, Seungcheol hurried towards the bathroom and ran the cold water on his hurting arm. The cuts kept on appearing on his skin and Seungcheol didn't think that he could bear it any longer. The sharp tingling sensation literally was excruciating and agonizing and Seungcheol was close to crying by now.  
  
     What that person was thinking when they did this? Was the person immune to any kind of pain that they were willing to cut their arm and hurt their soul mate? _Is he crazy? I'm sure gonna kill that person if I found them. I don't even care if this dude is my actual soul mate._  
  
     And with that, Seungcheol clenched his teeth and grimaced in pain as he refrained the hot sensation of the cuts that magically formed on his left arm. All that he could do right now was prayed for his stupid soul mate to stop cutting their arm and sleep already.  
  
     When the morning approached and the alarm clock rang continuously which brought a great annoyance to Seungcheol, he couldn't help but let out a grunt and threw the alarm clock away. However, he forgot about his bandaged arm and ended up hitting the bedside table. As a result, Seungcheol yelled out in agony and inadvertently cursed.  
  
     “Shit!” he spat out with rage and scowled. An audible sigh escaped from his lips afterward and to his dismay, Seungcheol got out of his bed by force for he was going to be late for his class.  
  
     Due to his bandaged arm and not to forget, his soul mate's fault, Seungcheol had to wear a sweater to hide it from his friends' and professor's knowledge. Because he knew very well how nosy they could be if they were to see his bandaged arm. Therefore, he decided that it's better if Seungcheol kept it a secret and acted as if nothing bad and irritating had ever happened to him last night.  
  
     But sure enough, he wasn't that good in fooling people like Junghan because that shoulder-length hair guy knew every trick and habit Seungcheol had if he was to hide something from them. For instance, when they were sitting together at a cafeteria, Seungcheol kept on shaking his leg and his left arm, in particular, looked stiff and inactive, unlike yesterday. He didn't even hit Soonyoung for every lame, insipid joke he told them and merely wore his deadpan look on his face.  
  
     “Seungcheol,” Junghan called out the latter who sat across him.  
  
     Seungcheol hummed in response.  
  
     “You are hiding something from us, aren't you?” Junghan arched his brows in suspicion and crossed his arms.  
  
     Flustered, Seungcheol promptly replied, “Nope.”  
  
     A smirk tugged at the corner of Junghan's lips. “Don't lie to me, Choi Seungcheol.”  
  
     They exchanged a look with each other for a brief moment before Soonyoung broke out. “What is it, Cheol?” He leaned over the table with his small eyes widened and mouth curved into a permanent 'O'.  
  
     Seungcheol looked at both Soonyoung and Junghan alternately. He could sense the tense in the air and even if he told them a white lie, Seungcheol was positive that Junghan would never believe it. Well, he never did, though how good Seungcheol's acting was when he told him the lie. Seriously, Seungcheol had no idea how Junghan could be this sensitive. Because for some reason, it crept him out.  
  
     “Seungcheol?” Junghan broke the silence that enshrouded for minutes long. He looked the latter in the eye, waiting for an answer.  
  
     Seungcheol heaved a sigh and after a short pause, he decided to tell them the truth. “Just don't overreact to what I'm gonna say, okay? Especially you, Kwon Soonyoung,” Seungcheol said and pointed his index finger to the blonde haired guy who sat beside Junghan.  
  
     Soonyoung rolled his eyes in annoyance and made a tsk sound.  
  
     “Okay. I have a problem. Not a big problem, but somehow it will be a big problem,” Seungcheol blurted and rolled the sleeve of his gray sweater up to reveal his bandaged arm to his friends.  
  
     “What happened to your arms? Did you harm yourself, Cheol?” Soonyoung asked, his brows creased with worry.  
  
     “Hell no,” Junghan denied. “Although he looks like an idiot, he's not that stupid enough to harm himself. And even if he did, you are likely to be the main reason, Soonyoung.”  
  
     “Oi, oi. Watch your words.” Soonyoung shot Junghan a death glare.  
  
     But Junghan was too oblivious to care about the glare Soonyoung gave him right now and looked up at Seungcheol instead. “Perhaps...your soul mate?”  
  
     “Exactly.” Before long, Seungcheol rolled down the sleeve and concealed his bandaged arm from their sight.  
  
     “Your soul mate cut their arm?” Soonyoung blurted out in a high tone that inadvertently grabbed everyone's attention for a brief second.  
  
     “Can you lower your voice?” Seungcheol said firmly, deadpanned.  
  
     “Sorry.”  
  
     “So,” Junghan blurted, “this soul mate of yours did this to you?”  
  
     Seungcheol breathed out a sigh of dissatisfaction and gently banged his fist on the table. “Not only that, this person was trying to kill me! It was so damn hurt, you know? I felt like dying at that moment.”  
  
     Of course, he was, when his soul mate cut their own arm in the dead of night by the time he was sleeping in peace. Who wouldn't get mad if they woke up by force in the midnight only to find their arm with red marks and agonizing pain from the cuts? This absolutely was unfair for Seungcheol.  
  
     After a short pause, Junghan opened his mouth to speak again. “You know what, Seungcheol? I guess you have to find your soul mate before...”  
  
     “Before what?”  
  
     “Before your soul mate commits a suicide,” Soonyoung spewed out with a serious look on his fair complexion.  
  
     An audible sigh escaped from his lips afterward. Little did Seungcheol know, that he had no option left than to really find that person. Before anything bad happened to his soul mate and practically, to himself as well.  
  
  
Seungcheol wasn't paying attention to what the professor was talking about at all. Instead, his mind was preoccupied with his major problem that was: his soul mate. Junghan acknowledged it but merely kept quiet to himself for he was too busy jotting down notes on whatever things the old professor had blurted out to his students. Soonyoung, on the other hand, was writing something on his left arm with the black ball pen. Probably it was a message to his soul mate, warning the person not to cut themselves like what Seungcheol's soul mate had done.  
  
     Everybody knew that when one writes something on their skin with a pen, a marker or whatever things they want, it will show up on their soul mate's skin as well. It was like their way to communicate with each other in a most secretive and private way ever. To be honest, Seungcheol didn't fully believe in this soul mate kind of thing (though he witnessed it before). But when he experienced it in real life last night and it was freaking hurt he was figuratively dying, Seungcheol had no choice but to believe that it indeed was real.  
  
     Like Junghan, his soul mate drew him a flower on his arm. A big, beautiful one. It first showed up when they were lounging around at Soonyoung's house. It was incredible and fascinating to see it as Junghan's soul mate drew the lines and colored the flower purple and pink. Everyone assumed that his soul mate might be an artist considering how exquisite the flower was on his fair skin. And as Seungcheol recalled the moment, he pouted his lips in jealousy.  
  
     Glancing at Soonyoung who was busy 'talking' to his soul mate, Seungcheol came up with an idea on how to find his crazy one.  
  
     Seungcheol nudged the blonde haired boy and said, “Soonyoung, can you write something on my arm too?”  
  
     Soonyoung shot him a sharp look and replied, “Why?”  
  
     “So that my soul mate won't kill me tonight.”  
  
     “Okay.” Before long, Seungcheol rolled up his sleeve and Soonyoung asked him what should he write on his right arm as a reminder to his scary soul mate.  
  
     “Write down 'Hello, this is your soul mate. Where are you?' I want to know that person's location first and foremost.”  
  
     Without wasting any time, Soonyoung moved the tip of his pen down on Seungcheol's skin, writing a question on it.  
  
     Both of them waited for a reply from Seungcheol's soul mate but nothing showed up on his skin at all. “Damn it,” Seungcheol blurted in a low mutter.  
  
     “Maybe your soul mate doesn't have any pen with them?” Soonyoung raised his brows at the guy and shrugged.  
  
     “Well then, write down 'I want to meet you at X Cafe today at five.' Oh, tell that person not to kill themselves yet because that would be the biggest sin ever.”  
  
     “Roger.” And with that, Soonyoung wrote it down on his fair skin, staining his right arm with the black ink and obnoxious handwriting.  
  
     As expected, there was no reply from the other side and Seungcheol sighed heavily in disappointment. All that he could do right now is to say his silent prayer and hoped that everything would turn out just fine.  
  
     Eventually, the class ended and everyone dispersed from the lecture hall, leaving Seungcheol, Junghan, and Soonyoung behind. In twenty-five minutes duration, Seungcheol would head towards a particular cafe with a hope that his soul mate would be there as well. Because that person was supposed to notice the message Soonyoung had written on Seungcheol's skin no matter what.  
  
     Junghan didn't want to take part of the meeting and dragged the nosy Soonyoung home instead. Since it was Seungcheol's first meeting with his soul mate, Junghan felt the need to let them both alone to perhaps, enjoy their first date together. Although Junghan had no clue how it was going to turn out in the end.  
  
     After waving his friends goodbye, Seungcheol strode towards the bus stop, waited a couple of minutes for an omnibus to pull up in front of him and hopped inside. Before long, Seungcheol settled down at the backseat by a petite guy with bright pink hair. He got a gloomy look on his face despite his fair, radiant skin.  
  
     Silence swept over the omnibus as it moved forward, speeding on the street along with the other vehicles. He got approximately fifteen minutes left before his watch struck five and Seungcheol unconsciously shook his leg. He looked around the quiet omnibus, observing every single people in the large motor vehicle until his eyes were adjusted on the pink hair guy beside him.  
  
     And to his surprise, Seungcheol saw something unbelievable.  
  
     The petite one rolled up his sleeve and checked out the writing on his right arm. Seungcheol squinted his eyes over to look more clearly what was it and read in silence.  
  
     _I want to meet you at X Cafe today at five. Don't kill yourself yet because that would be the biggest sin ever._  
  
     Seungcheol's eyes widened in shock at the fact that the petite guy with bright pink hair who was sitting by him right now was his soul mate. The one who cut himself last midnight. And the one who put Seungcheol through those excruciating pain alone.  
  
     “So,” Seungcheol blurted, grabbing the other guy's attention, “it was you.”  
  
     Astonished, the petite guy shot him a bewildered look. “Huh?”  
  
     “Give me your left arm.” Seungcheol leaned to the side, trying to reach for the guy's arm.  
  
     “For what?” The other pulled his left arm away from Seungcheol's grip.  
  
     “Because you cut yourself last night, didn't you?” Seungcheol looked the petite guy in the eye with his blazing eyes.  
  
     Silence followed after his question for the other was entirely speechless for a brief moment, trying to process everything that Seungcheol told him just now. “S-So...it's true?”  
  
     “What?”  
  
     “The soul mate thing?”  
  
     Seungcheol heaved a sigh. “I hate to admit it but...” He rolled the sleeve up, revealing his bandaged arm to the other. “Yes. It's true.”  
  
  
Jihoon. Lee Jihoon. That was his soul mate's name. Seungcheol's sharp gaze fixed on the petite guy with bright pink hair who went by the name Lee Jihoon as they sat across each other in a cafe. He was small, petite and somehow cute based on Seungcheol's point of view. Although Seungcheol had never thought that his soul mate would look like this in real life, he didn't mind it after all. Well, he guessed he should take back his words about killing Jihoon.

     Jihoon, on the other hand, looked away, eyes lingered around as if he was hiding something. His brows furrowed as he was frowning and later on, his eyes met Seungcheol's gaze.  
  
     “So, you didn't believe in this stuff too, huh?” Seungcheol threw him a question in his gravelly, serious voice. No wonder if this Jihoon guy didn't think of him when he cut his arm last night. Because just like him, Jihoon wasn't into this soul mate thing as well.  
  
     The pink haired guy merely hummed in response.  
  
     “Well, you better believe it starting from today.”  
  
     A heavy sigh escaped from his lips afterward.  
  
     “By the way, what were you thinking when you cut yourself last night?”  
  
     Jihoon gave him a glowering look with mouth slightly opened and not long after that, he turned his face away.  
  
     “Did you know how hurt it was to wake up in the midnight with red cuts suddenly appeared on your skin out of nowhere?”  
  
     Still no response from him.  
  
     “Are you ignoring me?” Pissed off, Seungcheol leaned over the table and looked Jihoon in the eye.  
  
     “No,” Jihoon replied firmly. “I hear you.”  
  
     “Then?”  
  
     “You...won't understand it.”  
  
     Seungcheol breathed out a heavy sigh and leaned against the straight-backed chair. He crossed his arms and shot a look at Jihoon. “Yeah. Of course, I won't understand it if you don't tell me what your problem is.”  
  
     “What do you mean?”  
  
     “Based on what Junghan told me a few days ago, love and soul mate are all about sharing. So, doesn't that means that your problem is my problem too?” Seungcheol tilted his head to the side while shooting a look at Jihoon with his raised brows.  
  
     Silence followed after his reply for Jihoon was tongue-tied to even say a word.  
  
     “Look, I don't know what literally happened to you. But I guessed it ought to be something serious considering how willing you were to cut your own arm. However, listen to this two cents of mine. If you think that no one in this world wants to love you anymore, please remember me. I know it's gonna be weird and awkward to say this, but, you are not entirely alone. Because you have me. Your soul mate.”  
  
     Magically, the words rang through Jihoon's ears and mind like some sort of fairy dust. He saw a glint of hope in the black orbs of Seungcheol that assured him everything was going to be fine. Maybe, just maybe, this was what they called the power of love. Though Jihoon had just met Seungcheol like fifteen minutes ago.  
  
     “If you have anything to say but no one is willing to listen to you, just write it down on your arm. I definitely will read it. Okay?”  
  
     Jihoon slowly nodded.  
  
     On seeing his reaction, a small smile formed on Seungcheol's lips. “I don't know how we're going to fall in love with each other. But since we are each other's soul mate, I guess it's not an impossible thing, right? Anyway, I got to go now because I have a presentation to be done and tonight, I'm going to have an anime marathon with my friends.” Before long, Seungcheol stood up and a waiter came in with a big glass of milk chocolate shake on the tray.  
  
     The waiter furrowed his brows as he saw Seungcheol leaving his seat. “Sir?”  
  
     “Give it to him. He deserves that more than me.”  
  
     “Alright, sir.” The waiter then put down the milk chocolate shake in front of Jihoon and flashed a smile at him before he walked away from both of them.  
  
     Dazed, Jihoon shot Seungcheol a look.  
  
     “Don't worry. I'll pay it for you. Have it to your heart's content, okay?” Seungcheol wore his sweetest smile ever and was about to leave the table when he suddenly stopped halfway. “Oh. One more thing,” he said while turning at Jihoon. “That handwriting on your arm isn't my handwriting. It's my friend's. Mine is not that ugly unless I write it with my left hand. Note that. Okay then, bye!”  
  
     Soon, Seungcheol was out of his sight, leaving Jihoon alone with the milk chocolate shake. He stared at the glass blankly, contemplating everything that Seungcheol had told him a few minutes ago. By the way, Seungcheol was his soul mate. His actual soul mate. Which to Jihoon's surprise was real because all of these years, he never believed the idea of this soul mate thing.  
  
     And he never ever tried to. Though his friends had proven him that it was all real. Jihoon rolled up his sleeve and looked down at the obnoxious handwriting on his skin. Knowing that it was his soul mate who urged his friend to write it down for him unconsciously made Jihoon smiled.  
  
     Maybe, he really was not that entirely alone after all.  
  
  
His face was softened by the dim light that came from the bedside lamp. Jihoon leaned his back against the headboard, staring at the empty wall blankly. For the past few days, Jihoon was not in his right mind. All because of college, friends, and his family. Everything just crumbled before him and there was nothing he could do except to put the blame on himself.  
  
     Stressed, one thing Jihoon could think of to release his tension was to cut himself. He didn't even know why but the thought of cutting his own arm seemed appealing to Jihoon. And when he did it, he felt contented and relieved he forgot that someone was experiencing the aftermath of his stupid action.  
  
     Now that Jihoon had met Seungcheol whose arm was cut as well (because of his fault), his heart was racked with guilt. Jihoon averted his eyes on his left arm and ran his right hand over the neatly bandaged wounds. Before long, he noticed something unusual appeared on his right arm and a small smile decked on his fair complexion afterward.  
  
       
_Hey there! Are you okay?_  
  
  
     Upon seeing the ugly handwriting on his skin, Jihoon instantly grabbed a pen from inside his sling bag and his left arm was trembling as he wrote down the reply.  
  
  
_Yeah. I suppose so._  
  
  
     A few seconds later, Seungcheol replied.  
  
  
_Thank goodness. You know what, Jihoon, I'm not good in coaxing someone. So...you better stop grieving/frowning/whatever the hell is it from now on, okay?_  
  
  
     Jihoon let out a small giggle as he read the reply. He then moved the tip of his pen down on his skin.  
  
  
_I'm afraid I can't do that._  
  
  
     He almost drew a smiley after the sentence ended, but decided against it because he didn't want to embarrass himself. Soon, Seungcheol's reply appeared on his skin, right below his.  
  
  
_Why?_  
  
  
     Jihoon made a low, steady continuous sound like a bee as he came up with an answer to Seungcheol's question.  
  
  
_Because I don't have any more space to write down my reply. So, goodnight._  
  
  
     He was talking the truth indeed. Plus, it's hard for him to write with his left hand when in fact, he was a right-handed person. Before long, new words showed up on his skin which brought a wide smile on Jihoon's face.  
  
  
_Okay then. Goodnight, my dear soul mate :)_  
  
  
     Jihoon clicked the pen and put it on the bedside table. Even though it's going to be dreadful for him to rub the words off of his arm that was covered by the blue ink, this wasn't something Jihoon would regret doing. For a couple of minutes, Jihoon continuously stared at the last message from Seungcheol with a grin spread across his face. Soon, he turned off the bedside lamp, lied in the bed comfortably and pulled the blanket over his entire body.  
  
     Somehow, it's going to be a very good night to Jihoon, though.


End file.
